He Always Comes to Find Me
by CountTheCrows
Summary: Bay has never really explored the concept of past lives or soul mates, until now that is. And what she finds is she's had a few different lives and always comes face to face with one person, Emmett. One-shot.


He Always Comes to Find Me

**A/N: I just want to say this is first and foremost a work of fiction. I have never had my own past life regression and am in no way an expert, even though I am interested in having my own experience one day. I have had family members do them and I did a little bit of research before writing this, but if it's not entirely accurate, please take that as my creative license. Thank you!**

The first time she sees him is during a fire somewhere in a village. It's definitely not within this century. Maybe the colonial era? She's not quite sure, but she is absolutely, positively sure that it's Emmett. And her. It's Emmett _and_ her, but how?

He doesn't speak to her, and it's only for a split second really. Everyone is running around, rushing, the fire is expanding fast and people are hurried. It's mass hysteria and Bay – is she even Bay – gets lost in the hustle. Someone knocks her down as they are attempting to secure safety. People are stepping all over her and she's panicked. Is this how she died? Getting trampled on as there's a fire looming in the near background?

But then suddenly, there he is. The same red hair and piercing eyes, the ones she's found herself get lost in so many times.

He reaches out his hand and pulls her up, and she feels it. No, she feels _it. _The electricity between them. Unbelievable. It doesn't matter if it's 2013 or 1603, Emmett Bledsoe makes her feel so damn alive.

"I know you," she hears herself saying. "I know you, don't I?"

He flickers that irresistible smile at her and that's it. He's gone. Not like _poof_ gone, but lost somewhere in the crowd.

Suddenly she's awake.

"Bay?" a gentle voice brings her back to reality. "Bay, are you okay?"

In front of her is Andrea Lindst, her hypnotherapist.

"Bay, what did you see?"

"Emmett. I saw Emmett."

Andrea pursed her lips.

"Our time is up for now, but I'll see you next week, okay?"

~%~

Bay is an artist, and as such, it means seeing beyond what is there. It's about opening your mind to see the beauty. But past life regression? Hypnotherapy? She still wasn't completely on board with it, but what choice did she have? She was completely blocked. Every time she would pick a pencil to sketch or a brush to paint, she would come up empty.

She's not even sure how she got talked into it, but honestly she was willing to try anything. So when Kathryn suggested seeing a hypnotherapist, she reluctantly agreed, albeit with some curiosity. Andrea was nice, at least. At first Bay wanted to refer to her as "Dr. Lindst," but Andrea wanted their environment to be a very relaxed one. She wanted Bay to feel that they were friends, which was a bit odd, but what _wasn't_ odd about discovering past lives?

"So, Bay, why are you here?"

"I'm blocked. Creatively. I need something to explore myself, and my mom suggested this." When Andrea didn't respond Bay added "She's become all new age-y lately."

"Well, let's see what we can do."

The first few sessions are fruitless in terms of her actually being able to regress. It's a lot of relaxation techniques, breathing. It's frustrating, but Andrea assures her it might take some time. Everyone's experiences with past life regression are different. Some people see a lot and very quickly and others take their time and it's only a glimpse.

She sees Emmett on her fourth visit.

That night she can hardly sleep. What did it mean that she saw Emmett? He rescued her. She _touched _him. This wasn't just her seeing herself in an old life. This was her actually _living _it. It made her heart flutter, but it also scared the hell out of her. She loves Emmett, she's always loved Emmett. She accepted it, a natural reflex, almost as a natural as breathing. A part of her also knew she'd always love Emmett, but soul mates? Being cosmically connected? It was a bit daunting.

She spends the rest of the week careening between not thinking about it and obsessing over it until she's back in that chair in Andrea's office.

"Okay, Bay, you know the drill. Clear your mind and we're going to count back from ten. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

She's in a bar and there's jazz music being played. Her outfit is…what is it exactly? Flapper? Ah, so it's the 1920's, and yet there's alcohol being served. But what about prohibition? Bay vaguely remembered the Roaring 20s from history. History wasn't exactly her favorite subject.

An arm wraps around her.

"Hey, Daisy." _Daisy? Really?_

She turns around and sees a handsome man. Not Emmett.

"I got a customer for you."

Confusion creeps onto her face.

"What?"

"A customer." He points his cane to one of the doors. When she spots who he is talking about, she gasps. _Emmett. _Great, she's a prostitute in this life. Awesome.

"No."

Handsome man laughs, but it's a humorless laugh.

"What do you mean 'no'?"

Bay turns to face him.

"I said no. I'm not – I'm not going to 'serve' him."

Handsome man laughs again and then grabs Bay – Daisy – by the arm and pulls her into a corner.

"Stop screwing around. I took you in, I gave you a home, and this is your end of the bargain. Unless you want to be out on your ass and then you'll have to go crawling back to your alcoholic abusive father. This is the life, Daisy. Now go and do the man."

She nods and composes herself and walks over to Emmett or whoever he is in this life. "We can go upstairs." She leads him up the winding staircase into a room that is pretty much bare except for a bed.

Emmett looks at her and suddenly she's filled with shame. She shouldn't be. After all, she's not Bay and he's not Emmett, but still. He shouldn't have to see her like this. It's humiliating and degrading, but what choice does she have? Her – whatever handsome man is – is right. In this life she has nobody except for this job.

She begins to take off her dress.

"You just tell me what you like."

But Emmett – not Emmett – stops her. Instead he pulls out a wad of bills from his pocket. Bay's not even sure how much it is, but she knows it's a lot. More than she's probably ever seen in this lifetime.

Again, Emmett doesn't speak. He simply puts the wad of bills into her hand. It's an unspoken request: _Leave. Get out of here and be free. You're so much better than this_.

She's nearly rendered speechless. Emmett was saving her – again.

"Why are you doing this? What's in it for you?"

He only offers her a smile before he walks out the door.

Once again, she's brought back to Andrea's soothing voice.

"No. It can't be over. I need to see more, Andrea. Please! I need to see more."

"Next week, Bay."

~%~

The next week is hell. She's trying to go through the motions, but all she wants is to be back in that chair and see if Emmett appears in her life once more.

How is this, that Emmett is right here in her life on a daily basis, and yet, she feels closer to past life – past _lives –_ Emmett? Maybe it was because they had reached a point in their relationship where going back was not an option. She had kissed him recently, but he had rejected her, told her he wanted a fresh start. She couldn't blame him. But this, this was a way to feel the way she felt with Emmett and not have to deal with their history, their painful past.

But despite all that happened between them, she still longs for him. And she's pretty sure he still longs for her.

So, when seven o'clock on Wednesday night comes, Bay is on pins and needles.

As soon as Andrea hits "one," she's out.

Ironically wherever she is now, she's also out. Literally.

There's a crowd around her and she feels woozy. Her head is pounding and she's vaguely aware of blood.

It all starts to come back to her. She's in New York City – it feels like the 70s – and was crossing the street when a taxi cab hit her.

Someone is squeezing her hand and applying pressure to wound on atop of her head.

"It's going to be okay," comes a voice and although it's a voice she's only heard a few times before, she would know it anywhere.

_I just want you._

Emmett is telling her to hold on, that help is on the way.

"It's you."

Emmett doesn't smile. His eyes are dark and filled with fear and sadness. She was going to die and Emmett was going to watch her die.

He must know by now who she is. He has to feel it the way she feels it. There's no question about it. She and Emmett were linked forever. Irrevocably. Whatever decade or century, Emmett would always find a way to be in Bay's presence.

A white light appears and she's torn. She's exhausted and in pain and wants to go, but she wants to stay here, with Emmett.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to see you again. I promise," she manages to blurt out before the white light takes over.

There are tears in her eyes when she returns to the present.

~%~

Later that night, she's in her kitchen eating ice cream when her father walks in.

Obviously he senses something is up with his baby Bay.

"You okay, Bay?"

She ponders how to answer that question. John Kennish was not the most evolved man in the world. How would he feel about Bay confessing her centuries-long connection to Emmett?

Here goes nothing.

"Dad, do you believe in soul mates?"

He faces her and raises his eyebrows.

"You know, I've never really thought about it much. Why?"

She shrugs and twirls some ice cream in her spoon.

"Just a question. I guess I was wondering if there are some people who are meant to be in every universe and in every lifetime."

"I don't know if I believe in soul mates, but I do think there are absolutely people who are meant to be in your life. Whether it's every life – or whether we even have multiple lives – I'm not sure of, but I believe in love, kiddo."

That made her smile.

"Thanks, Dad."

As he begins to walk out of the kitchen he stops.

"Did I ever tell you about my little experience with an alternate universe?"

Bay shakes her head.

"No."

"When I had my heart attack, I dreamed that Regina had came forward about the switch earlier, when you and Daphne were three. And we – me and your mom – got custody of you two. Things were complicated, but Emmett was there."

"Were him and Daphne together or something?"

"No. He never knew Daphne. He knew you."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Wow."

John simply smiled.

~%~

It had been weeks since her last session with Andrea. Maybe she was a coward, but she didn't want to know more. She didn't want to live in the past anymore. And now she didn't have to.

She was with Emmett again, even though it came about in a rather awkward way, with her having a boyfriend. And there had been some uncomfortable backlash, but they had made their way through it.

Or at least she thought they had. Emmett was being rather quiet tonight.

"Everything okay?"

"Why did you come for me that night, Bay?"

"What night?"

"Right after I found out about Matthew. Why did you do it?"

She could be honest and tell him about her travels back in time, but it wasn't important. What was important was the here and now and in this life, Emmett had been there for her more times than she could count.

Her answer was easy.

"Because, you've always come to find me."


End file.
